Breed & Maintenance
13 Comments Written by
Sams on
March 5, 2010 – 2:02 pm
Keeping and maintaining killifish are all about self experiences. Some species are quite easy to maintain yet others need some extra work and care. There are many great webpage discussing about methods and other related issue. You guys just have to try and see if it works well…then just stick to your own methods.
In this section, I am going to share with readers on how I maintain my killifish as well as breeding them. I try to keep it simple and less complicatedJ. I still believe that regular water changes and fresh live food are the key to success to keep most killifish until they reach adult. I feed all my killifish mainly with live white mosquito larvae, tubifex, brineshrimp and in Summer time, me and Uwe will have fun collecting black mosquito larvae and sometimes Daphinia. Since, all these food containing lots of protein, feeding them regularly will make the water slightly cloudy and increase bacteria. This is when regular water changes are needed !….If you guys cannot co-op with this, don’t keep killifishJ……get other pets instead.
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I breed my killifish in small tanks such as 4 liter, 6 liter and 12 liter and 20 liter and for Lamp-eyes, I have no choice to keep them in a big group in larger tank as they prefer a space with plenty of current of very-well oxygenated water. Water parameter?….I am using tap water with pH around 7.6 and gH about 7.0. So far, it works with all killifish I have in my fish room.
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Most of the breeding tanks don’t have filter but as I mentioned before, regular water changes is essential to keep the breeders fit and healthy. Basically, small tank – some peat – and healthy breeders…..will give you an outstanding resultJ. Okay, it depends on your luck too…..
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There are many discussion when it comes to store peat. To me, the wetness of the peat plays important role as well as the temperature. Normally, I will let the peat dry for a few hours on newspapers until about 20-25% moist left. Then, store them in sandwich bags. My fishroom in the basement have temperature up to 25 Celcius on the top of the shelf whereas on the lower part temperature can be as low as 17 Celcius. Check the peat regularly to see if any fast developing eggs which are ready to be wet. Experience killi keepers normally know when to wet the peat (all about experiences)…so, if you dont have time to check the peat in regular basis, just pour water and just wait. I do that to myself. If nothing happen, dry the peat again and store for another 4-5 weeks…and repeat. This method works well with Semi-Annuals and Annuals killifish. For the Non-annuals killifish, eggs normally ready to be wet when they are 10-14 days.
When the time to wet the peat, I prefer to use small plastic cups or candy box (always ask my neighbours who have kids if they have any empty candy boxJ)…Sometimes, ice-cream cub also works well – just recycled to save our planetJ!….and it is easy to maintain the fry until they reach certain size. Again!…..watch out the water quality. When the fry are reaching about 0.5 cm, they should be ready to swim to a bigger raising tank and this is when you will have fun to see them growing and start eating larger food.
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The last stage is the growing tanks. I will release the young fish in bigger tanks and with filters as you can see in the photo. This is where I let the juveniles grow until adult. It is fun and feel somekind of relief to see your fish growing healthily and swimming until they are becoming adult. No words can describe the satisfaction!
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I just wonder how long does it take a fry to become fully grown killi? I’m rising Nothobranchius rachovii 98 and Aphyosemion striatum for 3 months now and they are still about 1/4 of a fully grown size. Also they are still colourless. Is it normal?
Cheers!
Valerie
Hello Valerie,
Both N. rachovii and A. striatum can grow really fast. Normally, you can sex up the N. rachovii when they are about 4 weeks old. If you feed your fish with live food and with regular water changes, N. rachovii can start breeding again at this age. However, A. striatum can take longer. The first sign of male of A. striatum can be discovered on his anal and caudal finnage. The green and red stripes will show up when the male is around 6-7 weeks old. Sometimes it can take longer.
Thanks Sams!
Hi SAm,
that seems very well!!!
Good to know you breed so many,
think of the BKV show,
we need many fish for money.
Some people destroidour raks for th econvention and have to build new ones.
Peter Venstermans
Hi.
do you want to sell some eggs from Fundulopanchax walkeri walkeri.
yours
Esben Madsen
Denmark
Sam,
Wonderful site! Nice fish list! Proud to know you!
Metcho
I think the portuguese fans will love to listen to your advices at APK’s convention this October…
Hi Sam,Uwe and of course the dog!
Just had a quick look at your site .Excellent.I wish I was young again and still had the energy to collect.For those who haven’t go for it .It brings a new insite into keeping killis.Go back to nature and camp out on the expedition if it’s safe that is .Nothing like fishing out in the bush with 20 + kids who appear from nowhere ,but they usually know where the fish are.
See you at the DKG convention or if not ,at the KFN again.Congratulations on the AKA article.
Peter (e.mail oldmother@live.co.uk)
Tried to submit will try Jacks e.mail address
Hi Sam,
Great web site, you certainly have a variety of fish, how many tanks do you have? excluding the containers used to hatch the eggs initially?
Kind regards
Derek
Hello Derek,
Thank you very much for visiting my webpage. I never count the tanks /hatching containers so far…Most of them are between 1 liter up to 100 liter tanks as you can see in some of the page here. There is one room where I hatch all the eggs and later release the juveniles to bigger tanks as you can see in the FISHROOM section. There I just monitor the fish until there grow adult….and start breeding them again…, as long as I can maintain the species to the next generation, I am happy enough….:-)
Hi Sam,
Thanks for your reply, once the warmer tempratures arrive ( I guess March time) I would like to order some of the eggs/fish of you trade page.
In the meantime I will keep visiting your web page to read the updates and may I take this opportunity to wish you all the best for the New Year
Kind regards
Derek
Hi Sam,
Did you get my message? It was about AKFB and C. Punctulatum. I sent it in your gmail inbox.
Cheers,
Pascal
I have raised my noth rachovii beira 98′ for 3 weeks, how com they’re not as big as mentioned in the forum. My fry grow healthy but just not grow too fast like what I saw from youtube.I feed them bbs ( twice a day ) in plastic tray with size 30×20 cm ( 6 cm in water depth ) I do a little water change everyday, what have I done it wrong? My fry still only 8 mm long in average, how to grow it faster?